Spent yesterday at the 12th annual Vietnam Veteran's Symposium at the Frenchtown High School. It was started years ago by a Vietnam Vet, Army Vet and teacher Merle Johnston to honor veterans and teach the kids. What a job he has done. Because of my book Dead Center I get to go to a lot of high schools and talk and there is nothing like the job they have done here.
Its a small school of maybe 500 kids nestled in the mountains west of Missoula along I-90. A few years back Merle, a history teacher, got permission to start a Vietnam History class. Each year his class hosts thirty to forty veterans from Montana for an entire day. They have us in and have an opening with the entire high school where our student host introduces us and who we served with, when and what we did.
Then we split three to four to a class and classes are combined and are one and a half hours long. The first 45 minutes is for the vets sharing 'their story' and then the last forty five minutes is for the kids to ask questions and talk with the vets. Tremendous experience. I have been going for seven years since I moved here and have seen so much healing from vets with the kids. Many talk about the war for the very first time at this event with these kids.
The kids then host us for lunch, this year breakfast and lunch, a cookout at one of the parents homes nearby. Sometimes we play games, other times different things, like discussions. After lunch more classes then the whole thing ends with 90 minutes in the auditorium where all vets sit on the stage and the high school kids come in and ask questions that each vet answers. You get a cross section and it is quite an event.
The Montana National Guard flies down Vietnam era choppers and parks them in the commons out front of the school for kids to tour. Now that is teaching history and doing a service at the same time. My hat goes off to Mr. Johnston, the Frenchtown High School School Board and some great parents, because the kids here are outstanding. The questions they ask are thoughtful, probing and respectful.
When you go there its always a great day. That is America in action!
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